The secret of Sharapova’s marketing success

Maria Sharapova is only 20-years-old and she’s already one of the highest-paid athletes in the world. Actually, according to Forbes list, with $23 million income she’s ranked 25th and is the sole woman on the list.

Of course, the majority of her money comes from sponsors such as Nike, Canon, Land-Rover, Colgate-Palmolive, and Motorola. The question is: Why do so many companies choose Sharapova to promote their product?

Professor Anita Elberse discussed her research on sports marketing and her recent case on Russian tennis superstar Maria Sharapova in an article written in Harvard Business School’s Working Knowledge and here are some of the things she concluded.

Generally speaking, Maria Sharapova possesses a lot of qualities that companies want to associate with their products. For example, Canon chose Sharapova to promote its PowerShot digital camera because she possesses a number of qualities that fit with the brand-being powerful but with precision, and having a sense of style. Other companies that have enlisted Sharapova's services frequently point to her reputation as a winner who never gives up.

Other factors also play an important role, such as good looks, public-speaking skills, overall image, and professionalism. Sharapova is beautiful, has no problems with speaking in front of many people, has never been involved in legal troubles, and without a doubt she’s a business professional.

And just one more thing, there are only few female athletes with global marketing appeal, so Masha doesn’t have a lot of competition.